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PR Firms - The Good, The Bad, and the Hell Naw

Within hours of putting up my Vaultec Slim wallet kickstarter I started receiving messages from companies offering a number of services, from:

- crafting press releases
- publishing them via "news wires" (tip: reporters are busy and rarely read these unless it's a huge event)
- publishing them on a number of Facebook pages (which don't get seen unless the posts are promoted)

...and so on. Some of the better ones offered to work on a percent of the funds raised, or claimed they did until you try to take you up on their offer then they pitch flat-rate packages. Some claim huge successes; one in particular boasted about getting their clients on national TV, but one of the clients they bragged about has posted in several forums how that PR firm did nothing for their werewolf game and could they please stop trying to take credit.

Getting messages via Kickstarter, I understand. Some messaged me through my Facebook page. Others went to a blog that did a story about my kickstarter and left messages for me to contact them by commenting on the story. Cheesy and desperate, that, and just ticked off the blog owners.

The icing on the cake was when one started contacting me via my private Facebook profile. Her profile appears to be a sockpuppet; "Diane J. Simpson" (A Simpsons universe name, a few unconvincing profile photos, and unlisted among their staff on their website). She pitched packages at me for several hundred or even thousands of dollars in one long cut and paste. When I asked questions about them, she gave a brief preamble then the same cut and paste. When I said she hadn't answered my questions she began arguing with me. That just made me very disinclined to use her services.

TL;DR: Are there any crowdfunding-specialist PR firms worth the dough that accomplish what they claim?

I have also been bombarded by these guys and according to my research, most of them are really dangerous to your campaign simply because most of them don't know the market that they are trying to target and end up getting your project blacklisted for spamming in places where you're not wanted.

If you have 5K to raise 50K+ you have a better chance. The fact is that for $200 and even at minimum wage you get perhaps 3/4 hour with an attorney (if you are lucky) 1 to 2 hours with an independent software programmer, and perhaps 1 hour with a decent PR person.

The level of expectancy is higher than it should be. I mean how much would you do for even $500. (assuming you are a professional)Drop that to $200 and then what?

The money they can make is by automating the service. They have an email distro list for press releases and perhaps some social networking accounts to pump. But the reality is it is in their interests to cultivate the marketplace for distro not to hand hold.

Even so when you put it out that you will give good distro, and good copy - well we expect that.

Were I in the business I would look at it as a lost leader. assuming that a success gets me post funding clients. If that is the case I would expect the PR firms to be selective in their clients.